HR assignment help on: Grapevine communication

Grapevine:The term grapevine communication is often used interchangeably with the term informal communication. The term originated in the 1860s during the American Civil War. It was used as a term that described the telegraph lines that were strung through the trees in a manner that resembled grapevines. It also came to mean informal communication that was not very effective because the telegraph system was not a reliable source of communication at the time. Almost a century later, it was discovered that the path of grapevine communication does resemble a cluster of grapes.

It has been shown that informal communication or grapevine communication occurs when formal communication is not sufficient. Research and studies have concluded that informal communication occurs either when insufficient of ambiguous information is transmitted through formal communication. Some organizational theorists feel that some informal or grapevine communication is needed in organizational life.

Jitendra Mishra derived 8 reasons Grapevine communication Exists. Some of the reasons include the need for faster communication, useful messages transmitted, outlets for imagination and apprehension, and helps build teamwork and corporate identity. Surprisingly, 75% of all organizations’ practices, policies, and procedures are shared through grapevine communication. Studies have shown the employees find informal communication such as grapevine communication to be more effective than formal channels of communication.

Advantage of Grapevine:

Grapevine communication creates a social bond where none existed. People like to talk to one another; whether they talk about work or family, or anything. Teams become more cohesive when members talk to one another outside of the project or assignment they may be working on. Informal communication lends itself to bonding.

The grapevine fills in a gap that is left when official information is missing, especially in chaotic or changing times. Even in organizations where management is very proactive about communicating change and keeping employees informed, the grapevine helps to fill in the blanks.The grapevine in many ways helps keep people honest; it can dissuade people from engaging on behavior that they don’t want others to know about. This is a two edge sword. On one hand, people will think twice about taking what they know is a wrong course of action. On the other hand, they may also think twice about taking a necessary risk and doing the right thing, fearful those appearances that may give rise to rumors.

The advantages of grapevine or informal communication fall in three main categories:

1. The grapevine increases cohesion among people at work. People use the grapevine to talk mainly about work, and some of the time(less than 20%) people use the grapevine to talk about personal matters. Both work and personal conversations that take place through the grapevine bring people together.

2. The grapevine fills an information vacuum. When formal or official communication is missing, people will start speculating and filling in the gaps with rumors. Most of the work related rumors that get spread through the grapevine tend to be accurate. The same can’t be said about gossip, which also travels though the grapevine.

3. The grapevine works as a deterrent for people to avoid taking actions that may get them to be the subject of a rumor. People may stick to the unspoken rules of behavior to stay clear of the grapevine.

In conclusion, grapevine communication’s main advantages are that creates or increases team cohesion, fills in information gaps, and serves as a deterrent for inappropriate behavior at work.In most cases, grapevine information holds at least a kernel of truth. Information from upper management that flows through the grapevine to lower-level employees can allow them to see, and possibly relate to, the struggles that management is facing. When employees have a sense (even if it is not entirely accurate) of these challenges, they can rise up and make suggestions or work to improve a situation of which they might not otherwise have been aware. Also, if trouble is on the horizon (according to the grapevine), it can give employees a chance to make plans and temper their reactions when the news is formally communicated to them.

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